Reggie Fils-Aimé Retires as President of Nintendo America; Doug Bowser to Replace Him

Reggie Fils-Aimé, the long-serving President and COO of Nintendo of America, announced Thursday he plans to retire April 15.

Fils-Aimé rose to prominence with Nintendo when he took the stage at E3 2004 with the line, "My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and we're about makin' games."​ Since then, his theatrical approach and genial personality have made him an icon in the gaming community as he shepherded Nintendo of America through the Wii, Wii U and Switch releases.

Fils-Aimé, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata acted as the company's public faces for the last decade. Come April, Miyamoto will be the only one of the three still working at Nintendo.

In addition to leading Nintendo of America, Fils-Aimé was the subject of several memes during his tenure. Known to fans as the Regginator, Fils-Aimé cemented his place in internet history when, during a reveal for the Wii Balance Board, he haltingly declared, "My body... My body is ready." Fans took the phrase and ran with it, and Fils-Aimé has acknowledged the meme several times since.

Doug Bowser to Take Over

Fils-Aimé will be succeeded at the helm of Nintendo of America by the company's current head of sales, the aptly-named Doug Bowser, in a personnel change that will likely add yet another meme to Fils-Aimé overstuffed cabinet.